Roof Repairs London

My name's John Quilligan. Most roof problems people call us about aren't roof replacements — they're a slipped tile, cracked flashing, a silted-up valley, or a joint that's finally given up after twenty years of London weather.

The hard part isn't fixing it. It's diagnosing it correctly in the first place, because getting that wrong means either paying for a full re-roof you never needed, or paying for a repair that fails again in six months because it was aimed at the wrong problem.

That's the actual job my team and I do. We inspect the roof properly first — often with a drone where the cause isn't obvious from a ladder — before we tell you what it needs. If a repair will genuinely sort it, that's what we recommend. If it won't, we'll tell you that too, and explain exactly why, instead of quietly upselling you into the bigger job.

Every repair we carry out is backed for up to 10 years, in writing — not a verbal promise that's forgotten the day the invoice is paid.

Leaking roofs — the single most common call we get. We trace leaks to their actual source, not just the spot where the stain shows up on your ceiling, which is very often a different place entirely.

Damaged or missing flashing — around chimneys, valleys, and roof junctions, flashing failure is behind a huge share of "mystery leaks" that other repairs miss.

Slipped, cracked, or missing tiles and slates — usually after a windy night. We check the whole roof face while we're up there, not just the one obvious gap. (See our [Slate Roof Repairs] page for period-property specific work.)

Storm and wind damage — displaced tiles, lifted ridge caps, damaged flashing. We prioritise genuine storm callouts same day, since exposed timber and insulation degrade fast once wet.

Sagging or rotting roof sections — often a sign of a much older, slow leak rather than a new problem, and worth a proper structural check, not just a surface patch.

Blocked or damaged guttering causing water to back up under tiles — very common on older London terraces with valleys that were never designed for today's rainfall volumes. This can look identical to a tile failure from inside the loft, but the fix is completely different. (See our [Gutter Repairs] page.)

Persistent leaks previous repairs haven't fixed — see Margarita and Éamonn's story above. If you've had a roofer out once or twice already and the leak's still there, the original repair likely treated a symptom, not the source.

Flat roof leaks, chimney-related leaks, and skylight leaks are each their own specific problem with their own fix — see our dedicated [Flat Roof Repairs], [Chimney Repairs], and [Skylight Repairs] pages for those specifically.

Repair is usually right when: the damage is localised to a small area, the underlying structure and timber are sound, and the roof covering still has meaningful life left in it. A well-executed repair on an otherwise healthy roof can genuinely add years of service — the National Federation of Roofing Contractors notes that regular inspections and timely repairs can extend a roof's lifespan by up to 10 years.

Replacement becomes the right call when: damage covers more than roughly 30% of the roof, there's daylight visible through the roof boards from inside the loft, the timbers underneath have started to rot or sag, or a roof has already had three or more repairs to the same area — at that point you're paying repair prices repeatedly for a problem a repair can no longer fix.

If we're not certain which category your roof falls into after a visual inspection, we'll say so rather than guess.

How quickly can you fix a leak? Same day in most cases, seven days a week — genuine leaks and storm damage get priority over routine callouts.

Can I get my roof repaired in winter? Yes. Weather is one of the main causes of roof damage in the first place, so we carry out repairs year-round, not just in fair weather.

Will you tell me if I don't actually need a repair? Yes. If the inspection shows your roof's fine, or the issue is minor enough not to need immediate work, we'll tell you that rather than invent a job.

My roof is leaking — do I need a completely new roof? Not necessarily. Most leaks are repairable. Full replacement usually only becomes the right call when damage is widespread, the timbers underneath are compromised, or a roof has already failed multiple repairs in the same spot — see the "Repair or Replace" section above for the specifics we actually look for.

What if the same leak keeps coming back after a previous roofer fixed it? This is common, and usually means the original repair treated the visible symptom rather than the actual source. Our inspection process — including drone surveys where useful — is built specifically to find the real cause before we quote anything.

Do repairs come with a guarantee? Yes — up to 10 years, depending on the work carried out, given to you in writing.

Do you charge for the inspection if it turns out to be a small job? No. No call-out fee, ever, regardless of what the job turns out to be.

Do I need planning permission for a roof repair? Almost never for standard repairs. The main exception is listed buildings or conservation areas — worth flagging to us during the inspection if you're unsure whether your property falls into either category.

Daylight through the loft boards during the day — go up with a torch off; if you can see light anywhere, water's already found a way in, even without a visible drip yet.

A ceiling stain that fades and reappears after every heavy downpour — that's not old damage drying out, that's a live leak actively tracking further into the ceiling and insulation each time it rains.

Tiles in the garden after a windy night — one on its own isn't an emergency, but it signals the whole roof's fixings are ageing, and more are likely to follow.

Damp at chimney breast level, especially top floor — almost always the flashing or pointing around the stack, not the chimney itself, but it needs sorting before the next wet spell makes it worse.

If any of these sound familiar, it's worth getting it looked at now rather than after the next storm.